Animal mask



Jan 1970 I R. J. BAR-CHIN] ETAL 3,491,755

ANIMAL MASK Filed Feb.- 19. 1968 I z'sheets sneet 1 I N VENTORS 905527.!542 mm Russ-ELL E CLAYTON 7 OR/YEXS' United States Patent Ofiice3,491,755 Patented Jan. 27, 1970 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bulbousmask for warming air breathed by a horse is formed from mask materialsupported on a frame peripherally contOured to fit snugly in the areaadjacent the horses nostrils and above the mouth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to respiratory rnaskS,particularly of the type for warming inspired air.

For at least a century it has been known that for a horse to breathecold air was not only uncomfortabale but also physically damaging. Atone time farmers in the northern part of the United States commonlywrapped a scarf around the nose of a horse used to pull a bobsled orengage in heavy labor during cold winter weather to ward off pneumoniaor frost-bitten respiratory passages. Unfortunately, however, a scarfquickly becomes saturated with moisture and often freezes over thehorses nostrils. This tendency is aggravated by a horses normal tendencyto salivate, or slobber, excessively.

Cold weather masks for use by human beings are known; see, for example,Barghini et al. US. Patent 3,333,585 which discloses a cup-shaped maskformed of nonwoven resilient porous fibrous fabric designed to conformto the face of the wearer, extending over the nose and mouth. Previousattempts to use a mask of this type on horses, however, have beenfraught with the identical problem encountered by farmers of an earlierera; saliva and condensed moisture vapor tend to freeze the mask in thearea adjacent the nostrils. Thus, although limp bag-like respiratorymasks for minimizing smoke inhalation were long ago disclosed in US.Patent 327,762, devices designed to protect a horses nostrils in coldweather have generally been of the type shown in US. Patents Nos.381,285 and 501,463, i.e., formed of rigid material which deflects,rather than filters, air which is to be breathed.

The horse no longer is a major factor in transportation or agriculture,of course, but winter harness racing is today increasing greatly inpopularity. Although spectators typically sit in a heated enclosure, thehorses perform out-of-doors and the unsolved cold air problem hasremained acute. The rapid breathing of frigid air through widelydistended nostrils during racing can seri ously affect the health of theextremely valuable animals. Prior to the present invention there hasbeen no satis factory way of coping with this problem.

SUMMARY The present invention provides, for the first time insofar asthe inventors are aware, a simple mask for attachment to a horse toprevent the lungs of the animal from becoming frostbitten. The device issimple, lightweight, readily attached without discomfort to the animal,and yet insures that virtually all the air inhaled or exhaled passestherethrough. The heat exchange which takes place within the maskmaintains a sufficiently high temperature to prevent freezing. The maskdoes not come in contact with the nostrils and hence insures that airwill be drawn through the entire mask fabric. This novel device alsotakes advantage of the fact that, unlike many other animals, a horse isalmost completely anatomically unable to breathe through its mouth;hence the mask does not surround the entire muzzle, thereby eliminatingthe problems caused by excessive salivation.

Basically the mask involves a cage-like collapse-resistant lightweightframe which conforms peripherally to the area of a horses head adjacentthe nostrils and supports a mask fabric material, which is desirably ofthe type disclosed in the aforementioned Barghini et al. patent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Understanding of the invention will befacilitated by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which likenumbers refer to like parts in several views and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view showing the mask assembly of the inventionmounted on a horses head;

, FIGURE 2 is a rear view of the mask assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the mask assembly; FIGURE 4 is alongitudinal cross-section of the mask assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the frame portion of the mask assemblymade in accordance with this invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view showing one of the snaps used to holdthe mask assembly together.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing, maskassembly 10 comprises cage-like frame 20 to which bulbous mask 30 isremovably attached. As is particularly shown in FIG. 5, frame 20includes 2-part peripheral frame member 21, made up of horizontalU-shaped frame member 22 and vertically arched U-shaped rear framemember 23, connected to horizontal member 22 toward the rear of the sideportions thereof. Connecting the central portion of vertical member 23to the central portion of the rounded front of horizontal frame member22 is longitudinal member 24, while connecting the two side portions ofhorizontal member 23 is vertically arched and laterally bowed crossmember 25 which extends well above the upper surface of longitudinalmember 24. A preferred method of conmeeting the several frame members isby rivets 27.

As is indicated in FIG. 1, the peripheral contour of the mask and thecontour of peripheral base member 21 both approximate the conformationof that nostril-including portion of a horses head lying on thecontinuous imaginary line defined roughly by the upper lip and a lineextending across the face so as to connect the corners of the mouth. Therounded horizontal member 22 thus conforms to the forward and sideportions of the horses nose and upper lip, while arched vertical framemember 23 corresponds to the shape of the horses face. Longitudinalmember 24 serves as the primary support for frame 20, extendinglongitudinally down the center of the horses face and over the nosebetween the nostrils. Cross member 25, which extends well abovelongitudinal member 24 and bows out beyond the sides of horizontal framemember 22, provides a support for mask fabric '30, insuring that thelatter remains out of contact with the horses nostrils, even when theyare distended to several times their normal size, which commonly occurswhen the horse is exerting himself.

The various members making up frame 20 are desirably formed fromresilient supple, shock-resistant plastic strips (e.g., nylon,polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc.), thereby insuring that the maskwill not permanently collapse in use, even if deformed by beingsubjected to a sharp blow. If desired, however, vertically arched rearframe member 23 may be formed of a more tractable conformable materialto permit shaping to the specific physiognomy of the horse on which themask is to be mounted. Strips of spring steel may also be employed asmembers of frame 20, although metal tends to feel somewhat colder thanplastic and, additionally, presents a greater possibility of injuringthe horse.

Mask 30 can be either temporarily or permanently at tached to frame 2!);temporary attachment is generally preferred, however, to permit thefabric to be replaced when it has become soiled, torn, saturated withcondensed water vapor or otherwise unsuitable for further use. As isshown particularly in FIG. 6, mask 30 is connected to frame 20 primarilyby means of snap fasteners 27, the male portion of which is mounted toframe 20 and inserted through appropriately located holes in mask fabric31; the female portions of snap fasteners 27, which have largerdiameters than the holes, are then snapped over the male portion of thefastener to hold fabric 31 in place. Fasteners 27 also convenientlyserve to attach to frame 20 the several means which serve to hold themask in position on a horses head. Thus, to appropriate rear portions offrame 20, are connected straps 34, each having free end 34a which ispassed around a portion of the bridle, halter, or similar conventionalhead harness, and connected to buckle 3412 on the opposite end. To oneof the side portions of horizontal frame member 22, elastic strap 35,having a buckle 351) at one end, is connected; strap 36 is connected tothe other side of frame member 22. Strap 36 is then passed through andgripped by buckle 35b, providing an elastic band around the horses lowerjaw which permits the animal to open his mouth but keeps him fromdislodging mask 30. Socalled one-way snaps, which can be opened only bylifting and pulling in a single direction, have been found especiallyuseful, since they insure that the various mask attaching means will notbecome separated from the mask, even when the horse engages in violentphysical activity.

Removable mask 30 comprises mask fabric 3i, desirably formed of a moldednonwoven resilient porous fibrous fabric of the type described in theaforementioned Barghini et al. Patent 3,333,585, the disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference. Such nonwoven fabrics have beenfound effective in maintaining the air inside the mask at approximately50 F. or higher, essentially independent of the temperature of theoutside air, in winter conditions.

Extending throughout the peripheral interior of mask fabric 31, andstitched thereto at the outer edge, is a band ofv synthetic spongematerial 32, formed, e.g., of lightweight polyurethane foam about A inchthick. The outer edge of sponge band 32 is desirably subjected to heatand pressure to densify and toughen it, so that it can be stitched tothe peripheral portion of mask fabric 31. This compressed portion ofsponge 32 may extend around the raw edge of mask fabric 31, presenting afinished appearance and, further, reducing any possibility of irritatingthe skin of the horse. The fact that sponge 32 is stitched only alongthe outer edge, permits it to be slipped around the peripheral portion21 of frame 20, preventing contact of the latter with the head of thehorse and thus preventing chafing. When mask is mounted on the head ofthe horse, as is particularly shown in FIG. 1, the lower edge of sponge32 extends slightly above the lower edge of the horses upper lip,permitting clearance of the bit. When the various holding means 34-36are appropriately connected, mask 10 is held firmly on the horses headand peripherally sealed sothat substantially all of the air breathed inor out passes through mask fabric 31.

To make certain that the sensitive forward portion of the horses iip isnot chafed, and further to prevent the horse from chewing on the edge ofthe mask, the forward portion of sponge band 32 extends somewhat higherthan the other portions. To keep band 32 from doubling over in thisarea, snap fasteners 33 may be used to connect it to mask fabric 31.

It will be recognized that numerous modifications and extensions of thisinvention will occur to those skilled in the art. For example, althoughthe outstanding utility of masks in accordance with this invention isfor warming the air breathed by a horse, it is entirely possible toplace within the mask, medications which the horse is to breathe. Itwill also be appreciated that, where the primary purpose of the mask isto prevent the passage of dust, somewhat different fabrics than thatdiscussed hereinabove may be employed successfully. Likewise, masks maybe dyed or pigmented in colors which contrast sharply with that of thehorse, thereby facilitating the photographic determination of a winnerin a close race.

We claim:

1. A cold weather mask assembly for equine animals, comprising incombination:

a cage-like collapse-resistant frame formed of a narrow peripheral basemember contoured to have a rounded front portion, substantially straightside portions and an arched rear portion, thereby approximating theconformation of that nostril-including portion of a horses head lying onthe continuous imaginary line defined roughly by the upper lip and aline extending across the face connecting the corners of the mouth, atleast the front and side portions of said base member being resilient,

a resilient longitudinal member located approximately midway between thetwo sides of said frame, connecting the rear and front portions of saidbase member, thereby providing a means for supporting said frame uponthe nose and bony portion of a horses face,

a resilient cross member connecting the two sides of said base memberand sutficiently arched thereabove to substantially avoid contact withthe nose and nostrils of a horses head when said mask is mountedthereon,

a porous cold weather mask fabric contoured to fit over said frame andattached thereto, said frame preventing said fabric from contacting thenostrils of a horse on which the mask is mounted, and

means on said frame for holding said mask on a horses head, comprisingmeans for connecting the rear portion of said frame to conventional headharness,

means for connecting the two sides of said frame under the lower jaw ofa horse, and

compressible sealing means along the peripheral interior of said mask,

whereby the peripheral portion of the mask can be brought snugly intocotnact with the head of the horse and held firmly in place so that thehorse is prevented from dislodging the mask and substantially all theair inhaled and exhaled by the horse passes through the mask fabric.

2. The mask of claim 1 wherein the compressible sealing means is softpolyurethane foam which prevents the peripheral base member fromdirectly contacting the horse.

3. The mask of claim 2 wherein the resilient frame members are formedfrom supple strips of plastic material.

4. The mask of claim 3 wherein the mask fabric is removably attached tothe frame, thereby permitting the fabric to be replaced when soiled,saturated with condensed water vapor, or otherwise unsuitable forfurther use.

5. The mask of claim 4 wherein the mask fabric is provided with holes toaccommodate snap fasteners which pass therethrough for holding thefabric to the frame.

6. The mask of claim 5 wherein the means for connecting the frame tohead harness and under a horses jaw are straps connected to the frame bysnap fasteners which 5 6 extend through the mask fabric, thereby servingthe addi- 1,311,933 8/1919 Weigel 54-80 tional function of removablyattaching the mask fabric to 3,333,585 8/ 1967 Barghini 128--212 theframe.

References Cited RICHARD A GAUDET, Primary Examiner UNITED STATESPATENTS 5 J. B. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner 381,285 4/1888 Shue 54-80501,463 6/1893 Joerges et a1. 54--80 960,142 5/1910 Anctil 5480 5480;128146.6

